Two Weeks in August stars explain hidden opening scene detail you might have missed

The Two Weeks in August cast have opened up about the hidden detail in the opening scenes of the new BBC drama that fans may have missed

The Two Weeks in August cast have revealed the importance of a concealed detail within the programme’s opening moments.

Penned and developed by Sally4Ever’s Catherine Shepherd, the new series chronicles a group of mates reuniting for a summer break. Yet the perfect retreat quickly descends into mayhem following a forbidden kiss.

During the first episode, audiences meet each friend, including married duo Zoe and Dan, portrayed by Jessica Raine and Damien Molony, who are clearly struggling as they try to move beyond previous incidents.

The family of four, who’ve brought their youngsters along, are also grappling with financial difficulties, as becomes apparent when Jess, played by Antonia Thomas, proposes everyone contributes €200 to the shared fund.

Matters deteriorate further when Zoe and Dan are assigned dinner preparation duties, with their affluent companions requesting seafood – creating another stressful expense for the cash-strapped pair as they choose supermarket fish rather than fresh market offerings.

Speaking about these scenes, Jessica Raine and Damien Molony, who portray Zoe and Dan, highlighted a crucial concealed element from the programme’s initial sequences.

Damien, 42, said: “We had a great opportunity to rehearse before we went out with Tom George, our director. We talked a lot about their past and about their relationship and the fact that, you know, they probably hadn’t had sex in about a year.

“That was a really brilliant starting point to go: ‘Oh, something’s really not right here.’ We would do some improvisations about the journey to the airport in England and what that must have been like.

“Jess had this incredible line in the improv about having to pack pasta in our luggage because we knew we wouldn’t be able to afford food on the island. So much so that they actually put it in the scene.

“So when Jessica opens her suitcase in that first scene on packing, there is pasta in the bag” to which Jessica, 44, added: “Three bags!”

Damien continued: “It was kind of those little details that started to kind of… because in TV, you don’t get that opportunity to rehearse or to really explore the world around the scenes.

“So that was really, really thrilling, and it really informed the rest of the kind of scenes that we shared together because this couple goes on a huge journey.”

Meanwhile, Jess said: “The journey of the fish is really good and I think that’s also a really good point to make about our show is the financial differences in the couples. I don’t think we see that very much.

“We often see a lot of very rich people going on holiday, but I love the reality. I mean, a lot of people are in that position where you’re like, I can’t afford €200 for the kitty and the look that we give each other, we’re just like: ‘Holy moly, this is, we’re way out of our depth’ and they don’t feel able to say.”

The drama is only set to intensify for the couple and their mates as a synopsis reveals: “Set in Greece, Two Weeks in August tells the story of a woman who goes on holiday with her family and friends to rediscover joy in her life. But, here in paradise, what starts with an illicit kiss quickly turns the dream vacation into a nightmare.

“Zoe begins to act on her deepest desires and the holiday she hoped for becomes a reckoning for a group of adults who refuse to grow up. When they discover they are trapped on the island, and become faced with real life-or-death situations, the group soon turn on each other to find out who is to blame.

“Is Zoe responsible for the drama and destruction around her or, as heaven turns to hell, are bigger forces at play? We are in Greece after all, the land of the ancient Gods…”

Two Weeks In August airs Saturday nights on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.